M12-backed TwentyBN raises $10 million to help AI interpret human behavior

Robots are a staple of industry; the International Federation of Robotics predicts that 1.7 million of them will find a home in factory floors worldwide by 2020. In order to work safely and effectively alongside human employees, they have to be painstakingly taught rules accounting for every potential scenario they might encounter. Twenty Billion Neurons (TwentyBN), a three-year-old a startup with offices in Berlin and Canada, believes there's a better way. It today announced a $10 million funding round led by M12, Microsoft's venture fund, with participation from Coparion, Creative Edge, and MFV Partners. CEO and chief scientist Roland Memisevic said it'll use the new capital to scale its business.